Monthly Archives: May 2019

Eager beavers

Posted on May 15, 2019 by JohnMatel

I am not eager about beavers chewing down trees on my farms or flooding, but it depends. This book gave me some better appreciation of beavers as ecological engineers and creators of green infrastructure. History was interesting. Beavers were exceedingly … Continue reading →

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Pioneers

Posted on May 14, 2019 by JohnMatel

Not a bad book, but I would not rush out to buy it. His best, IMO, was “Truman”. This is not like that. It is mostly about the settlement of the area of Ohio around Marietta, told through the stories … Continue reading →

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What were you like when you were fifty – story worth

Posted on May 12, 2019 by JohnMatel

What were you like at 50? Story Worth question. What was your life like when you were fifty? The most significant thing that happened in my 50th year was that we bought our first tree farm. I have discussed the … Continue reading →

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Stoicism and Seneca

Posted on May 11, 2019 by JohnMatel

Rode down to a presentation at Smithsonian about stoicism and got a practical  lesson in stoicism on the way down. I used the hourly weather prediction to get plan to ride my bike when it was not raining. About 15 … Continue reading →

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Describe the worst part of your life

Posted on May 10, 2019 by JohnMatel

Leaving out periods of sickness or bereavement, two periods of my life compete for “the worst.” Crashing at the takeoff It was the worst job year since the Great Depression. Unemployment in 1982 hit post World War II highs (think … Continue reading →

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1491

Posted on May 9, 2019 by JohnMatel

I read the “sequel” – “1493” a couple years ago, so I was looking forward to this book. I was disappointed at first. The book drags in the first parts. There was too much detail of history that was precise … Continue reading →

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Late Bloomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement

Posted on May 8, 2019 by JohnMatel

“And I am not throwing away my shot; I am not throwing away my shot; Hey yo, I’m just like my country; I’m young, scrappy and hungry; And I’m not throwing away my shot” We worry that if we miss … Continue reading →

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Preservation & Conservation

Posted on May 7, 2019 by JohnMatel

Preservation &  Conservation Not everybody makes the distinction between conservation & preservation, but some do and whole books have been written on it, usually discussing the differences between Gifford Pinchot and John Muir. I won’t tell that story here.  Suffice … Continue reading →

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What were you doing when you were 40?

Posted on May 6, 2019 by JohnMatel

My story worth for this week. What were you doing when you were 40? I thought it was the best of times, and it was the best of times up to then. The worst of times was just around the … Continue reading →

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The Age of Living Machines

Posted on May 5, 2019 by JohnMatel

Very optimistic & interesting talk at Smithsonian today. The speaker neuroscientist Susan Hockfield, former president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, talked about her book, “The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will Build the Next Technology Revolution.” I bought … Continue reading →

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